British Pathe

c. 1956

Reel 2. C/U of wheels of Austin as it drives along. C/U of instrument panel. L/S of the car breaking as it gets stuck behind a lorry. The car pulls out as if to overtake but the road is too narrow. C/U of the bonnet of the car as it drives along. "All the same, a lively little car like...

c. 1956

Reel 2. C/U of wheels of Austin as it drives along. C/U of instrument panel. L/S of the car breaking as it gets stuck behind a lorry. The car pulls out as if to overtake but the road is too narrow. C/U of the bonnet of the car as it drives along. "All the same, a lively little car like this will find a chance to overtake sooner than most" says the narrator as the car pulls out and drives around the lorry. C/U of the driver's notebook which has details of the route typed out. Pages are turned. Finger points to the words "Lyme Regis." Petrol station forecourt. The boot is opened. Leslie Webb chooses the pump. Female petrol pump attendant fills the tank. C/U of her looking at the petrol pump and of the pump nozzle inserted into the tube. Boot is closed and locked. The two men climb into the car and drive off. Car drives through the town of Lyme Regis - single shot. Dusk shot of the car driving along a country road. C/U of a page of the directions illuminated by small torch light. Frome is pointed to. Night shot of the car driving through streets of Lyme Regis or Frome. Many of the shops have fairy lights and a banner across the street reads: "Xmas Shopping Week" (back to front). Dusk shots of the car in transit. Directions illuminated by torch light. Banbury is next destination. Whately Hall Hotel. Pan down the building to the two men leaving the hotel and walking to the car. They get in and drive off once more. Car overtakes a lorry. Narrator speaks of rules of RAC testing procedures. C/U of wheel. C/U of sign for a roundabout listing Leicester, Shawell, Weedon and Atherstone. Lutterworth is pointed to on the directions list. Car turns right - seen from following car. L/S of car on country road seen from car in front. C/U of wheel and instrument panel.

C/U of map of Lincoln. View of Lincoln from the front of the car. Petrol station - female petrol pump attendant fills the car. Special "Shell and BP Service" drip mat is placed over the petrol tube. RAC man chats to the petrol pump attendant as he watches the petrol being pumped. Another woman cleans the car windscreen. The two men stand by the car and look at a small map in the driver's notebook. C/U of the driver. Two men get into the car and drive off. Car overtakes two lorries. Sign for Bourne. Night driving on the Great North Road. Car puts its headlights on. Evening driving through London. Torch shined on a map of London with Hyde Park Corner highlighted.

Car drives towards Fulham. Car is filled with petrol to the original mark. The two men stand by the car at the original petrol station. Narrator says: "By the way, although this has been an economy test pure and simple, it is worth mentioning that in the words of the RAC report for the whole of the period during which the car was under observation, it gave no trouble at all." C/Us of driver, petrol tube, face of the petrol pump showing how many gallons being pumped, boot being closed, RAC observer filling in paperwork, L/S of petrol station at night.

Result - an average of 53.7 miles per gallon at 31.6 mph. C/U of pages of an advertising brochure for the car being turned. "For economy combined with reliability and comfort, this is proof positive that the baby of the Austin range is still, as it always has been, the finest value in the world."

Produced for the Austin Motor Company by Associated British Pathe.